Conference week 2025: ‘War is a failure of humanity’
2025-03-25 As the head of the Planning and Leadership Staff of the Federal Minister of Defence, Major General Christian Freuding is at the centre of the strategic and operational development of the Bundeswehr. During the conference week, first-year students had the opportunity to talk to the military expert about Europe's security architecture and the turn of an era.
The conflict between liberal and authoritarian social orders is hardly more evident than in the war in Ukraine. The open question and answer session showed how intensively the students deal with this. The 90 minutes almost seem to be too short. Hands are raised again in the lecture hall. Around 1500 first-semester students are concluding their joint Leuphana semester at the college with the conference week. Many took the opportunity to engage in direct dialogue with Pistorius's close advisor on the causes, situation and possible developments, particularly with regard to the war in Ukraine. Major General Christian Freuding is considered one of the most senior interlocutors in Germany on the military conflict and is also head of the ‘Ukraine Situation Centre’ at the Ministry of Defence.
One student wanted to know what he thought about reintroducing compulsory military service: ‘Fifteen years ago, we decided that we no longer needed compulsory military service for reasons of security and social policy. I believe that a democratic society must have the strength to rethink decisions – even if they were right at the time – when times change. What is the purpose of the state? The core purpose is to live a secure life in freedom,’ replied the Major General.
Further questions addressed topics such as the possible stationing of NATO troops after the end of the war, the threat from Russia and cyber security in Europe: ‘An important point. We still think too much in terms of “war” or “peace”. I don't think we're at war with Russia, but we're not at peace either,’ Freuding concluded.
In a conversation with moderator and Leuphana student Lukas Dalpke, he emphasised the importance of the USA for Europe's security architecture: ‘Security for Europe can only be thought of in transatlantic terms, and from both sides. The United States must have an interest in a peaceful order in Europe,’ said the military expert. Nevertheless, he believes that Europe could support Ukraine without US help: ‘If the political will is there, it can be done,’ said Freuding, who spoke of a ‘test of generations’.
The Major General reported on his most recent visit to Ukraine. ‘The energy infrastructure is hanging by a thread,’ he summarised. The pressure in central Donbass is increasing day by day: ‘We have to assume that Pokrovsk will fall.’ The city is considered a logistical hub: ‘The loss could affect the morale of the Ukrainians,’ said Christian Freuding, making it unequivocally clear: ‘War must not be. It is a failure of humanity. No soldier who has experienced war will say anything different.’